The Delicate Season
by fallintotoday
Summary: Evelyn's parents don't seem surprised that she's a witch. Why is that, we wonder? When the three things she loves are challenged by rivalry between the Houses, will she prosper, or will her dark roots taint her? The story behind the paintings of torture in Snape's Defense classroom. -Riddle makes an appearance, later!-
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**_  
"Such a precious enfant." A man's bony back curled over the pale, crying baby. "Such promise you 'ave in z'ose fingers."_

_The French man shifted across the room to stoop over a motionless, dark figure. The sound of glass shattering on the stone floor made him flinch. "No matter..." He muttered, rummaging through his pocket for another vial. "There will still be enough." His piercing gaze flitted towards the child again, who was now silent and watching him with puffy eyes. The sight of it filled him with fiendish pleasure, which echoed throughout the room in the form of maniacal laughter._

* * *

_"What 'ave you done, Rieu?" Adelaide Strill's throat filled with bile at the smell. "What 'ave you done, my old friend?" Adelaide looked at Rieu Chand desperately, searching for the reason to this madness._

_"I 'ave created a masterpiece of painting." Rieu whispered, drunkenly admiring his own genius._

_"A masterpiece? It's a monstrosity!" Adelaide staggered away from it. He fell into a shelf, sending jars of blood red paint to crash and spill upon the floor. It was then he heard a feeble whimper from the next room. "What have you done to them?" He begged sorrowfully._

_"Don't go in there!" Hissed Rieu, who lurched forwards off his stool with his arm cast out. Rieu battled with Adelaide for a few tense moments before Adelaide, the soberest one, bellowed:_

_"Incarcerous!" Sending Rieu, paralyzed by invisible ropes, to the floor._

_Knowing what, or rather __**who**__, was in the next room, Adelaide stood sadly over Rieu's restrained body, in the middle of his cold, cavernous studio._ _"Oh," He mourned, "What has twisted you into this lunacy, dear friend?" _

_Rieu responded with harsh, maniacal laughter._

_"The baby was all I needed." He muttered, his eyes rolling around in his head. "The key to my greatness! To my glory! __**It's talent**__."_

_Adelaide rested his hand upon Rieu's head. "What have you done?" His eyes now gazed steadily at the horrible, blood red canvas dripping slowly in the corner of the room. __**"Murdering fool."**_

* * *

_With the nearly exsanguinated orphaned baby wrapped safely in his arms, Adelaide directed his wand towards the building._

_"Expulso..." He muttered weakly, and watched as the painting, the studio, the murders, and the friend that crafted them all exploded in a cloud of debris._


	2. Tomatoes, Destroyed

*****Author's Note: **_I ask you to bare with me through these first boring chapters. I have uploaded them in quick succession to get you through them faster. It gets better as it goes, I promise! ;)_

_Thanks to all that have read, I appreciate your support, and write for you. _

_I encourage feedback of all sorts, and would love for you to write to me._*****  
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* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**  
During the final weeks of summer in 1971, eleven year old Evelyn Pratt had been attempting to soak up some of the final rays of sunshine in Bedfordshire before school resumed. Much to her displeasure, she had instead been instructed to weed the garden; a task set by her rather harried mother that morning. Evelyn ignored this task for the better portion of the day, preferring instead to read her books underneath the gazebo. Nearly eight hours later, Evelyn was reduced to plucking up her mother's pesky weeds.

"Eve!" She could hear her mum's terse cry from the house, "You're ruining my garden!"

It was true, she realized. In her poor mood she had pushed aside more than half of her mother's tomato plants and some were looking sorrier than others. Evelyn sat back on her haunches and strained her neck to find her mother leaning out of the kitchen window, looking rather haggard. Her mother's hair had fallen apart at some point in the day, and the thin line of her lips echoed the eight hour day she had worked. Evelyn felt a little guilty about the rough-housing session she had with the family dog, Hunter, which left the living room destroyed.

Now, both of them banished from the house, Hunter had been trailing along behind her, no doubt contributing to the tomato garden's demise, and eating up any weed that looked vaguely edible. Evelyn stroked the Bloodhound's head affectionately; who now had gobs of drool and grass hanging from his jowls.

"Sorry, mum." Evelyn shrugged her shoulders. "We'll fix it."

"Fix it?" Her mother, Samantha, asked irritably. Her hands flew out the window as she gestured wildly at the garden. "How would you suppose we fix it, Evelyn Rose Pratt?"

"Oh no, the_ full_ name." She winced, just as Hunter licked her face.

Samantha sighed deeply, a hand to her cheek. "Just come inside. We need to talk about something." Evelyn froze. _Talk? _

"And leave the dog!" Her mother pointed accusingly at Hunter, then disappeared from sight.

* * *

Evelyn entered the living room to find her mother had sat down at the kitchen table, her hands patiently clasped together.

Evelyn approached cautiously and took note that the surface before her was cleared of all clutter except for one curious envelope. She slowly sank down into the chair closest to her, watching her mother's face. _Was this her punishment for ruining her tomatoes? _She wondered, reaching for the packet. The paper looked ancient; its color was like someone had soaked it in tea. On the front, in intricate, black cursive, someone had clearly spelled her name. Evelyn looked curiously at her mother, who gave her a comforting smile. She turned the envelope over and saw that it was sealed with a red wax symbol.

"'H'..." Eve read aloud as she brought the seal closer to her face. She could see four distinct sections in the seal, each with its own animal. "Snake, Lion, Badger...and is that a Crow?"

This seemed to have stirred something in her mother, who looked rather amused. "An Eagle." She corrected.

"Oh. The seal is quite pretty..." Eve muttered, while she set the envelope down. "Wait. Does this mean private school?"

Her mom's face twitched.

"But I thought I was going to Bedford Girl's School, like my friends."

"I think you should consider this option. It's very compelling." Evelyn knew what that meant. Her mother had already decided upon this new school, and it was in Evelyn's best interest to agree with her.

"There is something else I need to tell you." Evelyn's stomach lurched. "Something important." Samantha Pratt leaned forward and took her daughter's hands. "Something strange."

Evelyn let out a snort. "Get on with it, Mum."

"Okay..," Samantha took a sharp intake of breath. "Evelyn Rose Pratt. You're a...a Witch."

Evelyn burst out laughing. "A Witch." She repeated, "Mum, that's a little harsh."

"No, Evelyn, a **real** witch. Yesterday, we were visited by a man named Professor Flitwick. He claimed that you do have magical abilities, and this school has been waiting for you to turn of age since you were born."

Evelyn went silent. _This was...real? _She sat back in her seat, and exhaled sharply. "But, doesn't that strike you as a bit odd? I mean...a _witch_?"

Her mother hesitated, but nodded. "The whole thing is..._strange_, but is magic really that hard to believe in?"

"Yes." Eve said resolutely, "Yes, it is."

"Not for me." Samantha added doggedly. "Remember when that bad man tried to get into the house, but the glass wouldn't break?"

"How was that magic?"

"Well, normally glass breaks when it's hit with a bat."

Evelyn froze, fingering the envelope in contemplation. "I guess you're right..." She concluded. "So, I'm a witch."

"Yes, and I've told your father you're attending."

Evelyn smirked. "I thought I was just _thinking_ about switching schools?"

Samantha grinned with a twinkle in her eye. "Nope, you're going." She chucked Eve under the chin. "Now scoot! I have to make dinner. Perhaps I can salvage some of those tomatoes you've doomed."

Evelyn simpered guiltily as she moved over to the living room with the envelope. She opened up the sliding doors there, and Hunter came bounding in. "I know." Evelyn cooed apologetically as she pet the hound with her free hand. "Mother is a meany."

Evelyn sank onto one of the couches as she studied the pieces of parchment. "A standard, size two, Pewter cauldron?" Evelyn laughed sarcastically, "What am I going to learn? How to make _Witch's Brew_?"

"Maybe it's for Home Economics." Samantha shouted from the kitchen. "Perhaps you'll learn to help your poor, old mum cook?"

Evelyn scoffed, "Keep dreaming." She flipped the list over. "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?"

"Oh, I can tell you about a few of those." Chuckled her mother, "But, I bet your father is an expert." She winked, cheekily.

"When is father coming home?"

"I am home." Mr. Pratt's exhausted voice bellowed from the hallway. "Now what's for supper?"

"Hey, Hun." Samantha called from the kitchen. "Spaghetti."

"Congratulations on getting accepted." Gary Pratt leaned over the back of the couch to give his daughter a bear hug and kiss her head.

"Thanks, I guess."

"So when is this Mr. Flitwick chap coming to pick our Pumpkin up?"

"Professor Flitwick, dad." Evelyn corrected, looking up at him adoringly as he patted her on the forehead.

"Saturday." Her mother answered, leaving the stove briefly to give Evelyn a curiously old book. "And he's brought Evelyn something she might like to read in the mean time."

"A Brief Guide to Everything Magical?" Evelyn read, taking the heavy book onto her lap. "This is crazy."

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	3. Head of Ravenclaw House

**CHAPTER TWO****  
**The next morning, Samantha was at her daughter's heels to fix the garden. Evelyn followed her mother reluctantly outside to the tool shed, where she was given her orders.

Happily, Hunter trailed her around the backyard with the hard, orange ball they used to fetch.

"I can't, Hunter." Evelyn moaned as she knelt down beside the damaged tomato plants. _I have duties. _She thought begrudgingly, and she tugged on a pair of gardening gloves. She began burying some rigid sticks in the ground, using string to tether the plants upright.

Pretty soon the scorching, August sun had sweat pouring down her face, and she used the back of her glove to wipe her brow.

"Look at you!" Samantha exclaimed, attempting to clean the dirt off Evelyn's face. "I think you will learn a lesson, yet."

"Does this mean I can read that book, now?" Evelyn got up from the ground and dusted her gloves off.

"After a shower, I think."

* * *

Saturday came quickly, and the three Pratt's were sitting quietly in the living room.

"One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?" Gary Pratt looked up over a pair of reading glasses perched on top of his nose with a sly smile on his face. He was holding Evelyn's shopping list, and had apparently followed his wife's same train of thought.

Samantha glanced up from her crossword and winked at him.

Evelyn stayed buried in Flitwick's book, while Hunter's dejected face was staring up at her from her lap. Her eyes stayed busy on the pages until the loud chime of the doorbell disrupted the silence.

"Is that him?" Evelyn mouthed as she pointed towards the entryway.

Samantha nodded and they crowded into the hallway. They held their breath as Gary pulled open the door to reveal a short, elfish looking man standing on their front steps.

"Why, good afternoon!" The tiny man said in an extremely cheery voice. "Precisely 12 o'clock."

Gary chuckled, looking at his watch, "So it is, Mr. Flitwick."

"_Professor_," Evelyn extended her hand in greeting. "I'm Evelyn Pratt."

"Hello, my dear!" Flitwick was a curious looking man, with a tiny pair of spectacles and an equally tiny moustache. The purple cloak he wore hung comically on the ground. "Are you prepared?"

Mr. Pratt made a strange noise, and quickly strode back into the living room. A moment later, he reappeared, holding the list. "Yes," He said gruffly, handing it to Eve.

"Here is some money." Samantha added, pulling a folded envelope from the front pocket of her high-waisted jeans. She turned to Flitwick with a funny look on her face. "I don't know the, ehm, correct conversion, but she should have enough."

Flitwick chuckled, "Yes, well, I'm sure we'll be fine. Come along, Ms. Pratt!"

Evelyn excitedly pulled on a pair of her canvas shoes. She gave her parents a quick hug, and took the Professor's hand.

"Be safe!" Samantha called after them, but she wasn't sure they had heard. Professor Flitwick and her daughter had suddenly disappeared.

Both Samantha and Gary looked at each other in astonishment. After a long, stunned moment, Gary concluded idly, "I think I need a drink."

Samantha just nodded and shut the door.

* * *

Evelyn had only blinked and her entire street had disappeared. She was now standing with Professor Flitwick in front of a rundown Bed and Breakfast. There were people everywhere around her, but nobody seemed surprised by their abrupt appearance.

"Right. In here." The small teacher said, holding the door open for her.

Evelyn was thinking twice about going inside, and hesitated before him. "So, Diagon Alley is inside this building, right?"

Flitwick chuckled. "Technically."

"I'm starting to believe anything is possible."

"Oh-ho," Flitwick winked, "It mostly is."

He led her through the building quickly, and they passed quite a few strange sights along the way. Most strangely, she thought, was that everything appeared to be cleaning itself. Evelyn thought this was a fantastic use of magic, though she didn't have much time to appreciate it, as Flitwick quickly pushed her out the back entrance.

She was now standing in front of a brick wall in a small courtyard she had not seen from the street. "It's behind this, then?"

"Right you are, my dear!" Flitwick had pulled a short, straight wand from his robes, and was tapping a pattern on the wall's bumpy surface.

Evelyn jumped as the bricks came to life, sliding noisily to expose a hidden shopping district behind them. She stood stupefied before the new gateway, until Flitwick encouraged her into the alley. Cautiously, she passed through the gate, watching the bricks around her while fully expecting them to close shut as she passed.

To her relief she passed safely, followed by Flitwick.

"We're going there." Flitwick pointed straight down the street at a prominent, marble building that appeared as if it was about to collapse in on itself. "Gringotts, the Wizard bank."

Evelyn moved towards this building, trying to avoid the other witches and wizards bustling to-and-fro. One of these wizards was a brown-haired boy who appeared to have been wearing the same clothes for a long period of time, as they had patches and dirt all over them. Evelyn felt a surge of pity for the boy, and she noted him carefully.

"He's going to be sorted with you." Flitwick explained while pointing out the packages he was carrying. "He's probably as nervous as you!"

This made Evelyn feel better, and she wanted to go over and talk with the boy, though she realized he was holding many things. "How many new students will there be at Hogwarts, Professor Flitwick?"

"Too many for one person to know," He winked, "And plenty for you to befriend."

* * *

As they entered Gringotts, Diagon Alley's animated and pleasant feeling disappeared. It was a cold, cavernous place, and there was an oppressive silence that almost did her eardrums in. Evelyn could hear every page turn with stifling detail, and she felt as though a pin dropping would make a cacophony of noise. By the time they had gotten across the expansive marble floor to the desk, she felt a little overwhelmed.

"Name?" asked the Goblin sitting at the head desk, his voice alarmingly deep, and wise. Four long, curling fingers wrapped around a feather quill, and even though the Goblin was shorter than she was, she felt intimidated by his sinister face. She moved closer to Flitwick, where she felt safer.

"Evelyn Rose Pratt." Eve murmured as she thought, _I've never spoken to a Goblin before_. Realizing something, a curious smile spread across her face.

The Goblin consulted a piece of paper before continuing. "Ms. Pratt. Lovely to see you. Do you have the key to your vault?"

Flitwick looked at Evelyn strangely. "Do you have a key?"

"I have many keys...but I don't think I have the one he is asking for." Evelyn whispered.

"You are mistaken, Goblin." Flitwick concluded with a scowl.

The Goblin hissed angrily, "If Ms. Pratt does not have her key, does she have other business?"

Eve tentatively gave the Goblin her envelope filled with Muggle money, and he disappeared from behind the desk. After a long moment, he returned shortly with a sack of coins.

"Thank you." Eve said politely, turning quickly.

They left the bank with quickened steps, and Evelyn only released her breath as they emerged back on the street. "Professor?"

Flitwick nodded, but looked as though he was deep in thought. Evelyn hesitated, rethinking her question. "I was reading a book about Hogwarts, but they didn't mention much about the Fine Arts."

"Oh!" Flitwick exclaimed happily, his little mustache twitching into a smile, "What interests you?"

"Art?" Evelyn followed Flitwick into a shop called Madame Malkin's.

"Oh, yes. Hogwarts has some curious classes on that subject for fifth year students." Professor Flitwick continued to lead her towards the School Robes section. There was a long pause as Evelyn considered the different styles.

"Professor?" Evelyn felt her face go red.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Are you a goblin?"

Flitwick laughed out loud. "Evelyn, I'll be a monkey's uncle if you don't end up in Ravenclaw!"

Evelyn didn't know what he had meant, but she had read about Ravenclaw in that book, and she agreed that she found the House the most likeable. "Do you really think so, Professor?"

Flitwick laughed, "I'm quickly becoming convinced that there would be no other place for you."

Evelyn flushed red, hiding her face in the robes she'd picked out. "Yes, I suppose you're right..."

Their next stop had been Flourish & Blotts, and Flitwick had suggested Evelyn buy an extra book, one he thought would prove useful to her. It had been a large and cumbersome book, but the front cover was a flashy one that boasted, '101 Magical Charms for the Budding Artist'. Evelyn had time to open it only once before Flitwick ushered her back outside, but she was sure she had noticed something strange about it.

After a few more shops, they stopped in front of The Magical Menagerie, where Evelyn was admiring a calico cat. "Right," Flitwick's muffled voice said from somewhere behind the large trunk of parcels he obliged to carry, "I think it's time we get you a wand."

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	4. Ollivander's Wand Shop

**CHAPTER THREE**  
Ollivander's was a strange, dusty shop lined with ancient bookshelves that were crowded with long, narrow boxes. Evelyn felt a growing excitement as she looked around, peering at all the unmarked cases. They seemed to be arranged in groups- but by what category Evelyn was left mystified.

"Good Afternoon." A raspy, echoing voice filled the shop, as a man appeared around one of the many corners. Mr. Ollivander had chestnut colored hair which was graying at the sides, and his bright blue eyes belayed his age, though they somehow conveyed his wisdom. He had his thumbs tucked into two tiny pockets on either side of his fraying vest, and a happy smile. "What do you seek?" He studied Evelyn from across the counter, leaning on its wooden top.

Evelyn shifted under his gaze, "I'm going to start my first year at Hogwarts, sir. And I've been told I need a wand."

"So you shall, my dear." Mr. Ollivander's voice drifted off thoughtfully as he wandered towards a shelf with particularly handsome boxes stacked on it."How about a pretty wand, for a pretty girl?"

Evelyn thought this sounded a lot like an observation, rather than the compliment she took it to be. "If you think it's best." She answered, and watched as he confidently selected one box that was completely identical to any of the others.

"This one is quite shy." He said eagerly, attempting several times to pick up the wand, before flipping the box over impatiently. He extended the wand to Evelyn, who took it tentatively.

"This wand is nine inches long, about perfect for your height. Black Walnut, a rather uncommon beauty, and Unicorn Hair, for the pure of heart.'

Evelyn turned the wand, admiring the slight twist in its tip, until she started to feel a bit dizzy and needed to put the wand down. "T-that didn't feel right." Evelyn said, placing her hand to her head.

"Unfortunate." Ollivander clucked, moving the wand to the side.

He quickly chose the next one, obviously opting for something with a more subtle presence. "How about this?" He gently handed Evelyn a plain-looking, mahogany wand to test, which grew too hot for her to hold.

"And this one?" Ollivander gave her a wand made of strange wood, which only made her palms itch.

"I wonder..." He mused, as his finger moved along a different shelf that was not filled with a lot of boxes. He went over every box carefully, until a box appeared to have jumped out at him. He selected it with a chuckle. "Ah! This one is eager to meet you." He placed a black lacquered box on the counter before her and revealed the most expensive looking wand Evelyn could imagine. She felt excited to touch it, and it looked like the wand was vibrating, too, eager for her hand. Evelyn looked up at Mr. Ollivander, who was smiling brilliantly, encouraging her to take it. "Ebony." He muttered, and Professor Flitwick let out a little squeak from the corner as Evelyn's hand went into the box. As soon as her hand touched the wood, however, the wand propelled itself across the counter, making Ollivander laugh.

"Closer," he chuckled, "But not quite ready for it." He stroked his chin, thoughtfully.

"P-perhaps Pine?" Flitwick suggested with a small voice.

"Pine, eh? That might be the ticket..." Ollivander shifted to a shelf of light-colored boxes and selected one that was rather difficult to open.

Evelyn gripped this wand firmly, holding it warily until a warm feeling spread through her, which made her grin. The wand seemed to want to react to her thoughts, and promptly emitted a single yellow bird, which excited Flitwick.

"Charms!" Flitwick cheered from behind Evelyn, his tiny fists pumping the air, "That's my girl!"

Ollivander winked, "I would have tried the Hornbeam, first."

* * *

"I'm chuffed as chips!" Flitwick squeaked happily as they left Ollivander's with Evelyn's new wand. "It felt like I was getting my first wand!"

Evelyn giggled happily, "Can we do it, again, please?"

"We should get ice cream first, to celebrate a successful trip." Flitwick stopped, directing his gaze towards Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

"Good idea." Evelyn agreed, but her eyes became distracted when she saw the curious looking boy from earlier standing in front of what looked like a high-end clothing store, and she couldn't help but notice the irony. She wasn't the only one, either, as the boy wasn't so much as standing in front of the store, but cornered by a mean looking wizard with long, blonde hair and a haughty looking blonde witch.

"I've never seen sorrier looking robes, Lucius." The blonde witch sneered, poking the boy's collar with the end of her nasty looking wand. Evelyn felt her hands clench into fists.

"Narcissa, what should we do to this filthy half-blood?" Lucius' laugh was a sinister hiss. The boy remained silent, though his eyes burned holes into the pair. "Snap his wand in two?"

Evelyn twitched with anger, "Leave him alone!" she demanded, charging forwards to protect the boy. Lucius and Narcissa seemed unmoved, and the witch merely redirected her wand from the boy, to her. Evelyn's eyes flickered instinctually towards Flitwick, who was now walking quickly towards them.

"Who are _you_?"Narcissa probed, twisting her wand menacingly.

"What's going on here?" Flitwick's voice was sharp, and surprisingly loud.

"Nothing, Professor." Narcissa chimed, adopting her most charming smile as she slid her wand hand behind her back. Lucius just gave Flitwick a dirty look.

"Well," Flitwick faltered, "Off you go then."

Narcissa grabbed Lucius roughly by the arm and marched him into Twifitt & Tattings, giving the boy one last evil look as they went. Evelyn turned to the boy, "Are you alright? They were so horrible."

The boy nodded, looking thoughtfully at her. "Yes, of course."

Evelyn pressed her lips into a hard-line as she watched Lucius and Narcissa stop to watch them inside the store's window. "You'd better leave before they come back out again."

"I was just going to say the same thing to you." He laughed at the look that registered on Evelyn's face.

"Oh." She realized, and she looked back to make sure Flitwick was still waiting for her. "I'm sorry; I have to go now." She gave the boy an apologetic smile and shrugged.

The boy didn't say anything, but watched Evelyn run after Flitwick with an amused smile on his face.

"You should watch out for those two." Flitwick's face had become wrought with lines. "They're a nasty pair, and always picking on the little ones."

Evelyn said nothing as she walked beside him. She had looked back several times to make sure the boy had gotten away safely, and only relaxed when Lucius and Narcissa didn't seem to want to leave the store.

"They look like they're from Slytherin." Evelyn observed, and wisely, too as Flitwick gave her an impressed smile.

"I see you've done your reading, Ms. Pratt." He snickered, "Quite _stereotypical_, aren't they?"

At this point, they had arrived at the end of the street, and Flitwick turned to her with a saddened look on his face. "I fear it is time for us to part, Ms. Pratt."

Evelyn felt a surge of panic, quickly assuming he was leaving her here at Diagon Alley with her things. "Aren't you going to take me home, Professor?"

"Of course!" Flitwick laughed, taking her hand once more. In a split second, they were in front of Evelyn's home.

"Oh." Evelyn said, a little embarrassed. Flitwick walked her to the door, and they turned to face each other one last time.

"Professor Flitwick, where is Platform 9 3/4?"

"Just run into the wall between platforms nine and ten!" Flitwick chortled, promptly disappearing.

This left Evelyn more confused than informed, but she went inside where Hunter happily greeted her, and she knelt to stroke his ears. "It's a shame they don't allow dogs in Hogwarts. You would have been a fearsome opponent to those Slytherins."

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	5. James Potter, the Swine

**CHAPTER FOUR**  
Evelyn looked curiously at the wall between Platforms '9' and '10' in King's Cross Station. Her parents stood beside her with looks of concern.

"You say Flitwick told you to run at it?" Gary Pratt asked, with one arm tucked around his wife's hip and other hand tucked into his pocket.

"Yup." Evelyn affirmed, adjusting her grip on the trolley in front her. Having already said most of their goodbyes, she gave her parents one last quick hug and sighed. "Well, here I go. See you at Christmas!"

Her feet carrying her as fast as she could go, and her trolley rolling noisily in front of her, Evelyn burst out into a sprint. The brown brick wall looked hard and painful as it drew ever nearer. Evelyn held her breath as she was about to make contact, and crashed into a student's trolley as she appeared on the other side.

"Watch it!" was this student's cry as he wheeled his cart straight again.

"Sorry..." Evelyn muttered distractedly, as her eyes flickered around the room. There was a marvelous red steam engine that was gilded with gold in front of her, and people were scattered around, boarding it. Some parents were seeing their children off, and stood in small groups, chatting. Evelyn looked back to see if her own parents had followed, but it appeared that they did not get through the barrier, like she had.

"Yeah right." the boy scoffed, looking her over. Evelyn's eyes finally settled onto him, and she was immediately startled by his appearance. For a boy around her age, possibly younger, his jaw was surprisingly angular. He had messy, black hair and hazel eyes that were covered by a pair of circular framed glasses. He was scowling at her, and clenching his fists angrily.

"Stupid girl." said another boy with dark, curly hair and piercing gray eyes. This boy had a decidedly aristocratic look to him, though was equally menacing.

"I said I'm sorry." Evelyn countered defensively, deciding quickly that she didn't like these boys. She gave them a heated glare as she steered her trolley away.

* * *

Just ten minutes before departure, one of the train attendants loaded her trunk in the under-carriage and Evelyn boarded the train. There was a mixture of closed compartments, which appeared to be mostly filled, and tables set by the windows. She found an empty one at the back of the train, where she placed the sketchbook and pencil she'd kept in her jacket pocket, and threw the suitcase containing her robes on the luggage rack above her. Absentmindedly, she sat down and began to draw. Eventually, the train blew a warning whistle and the tables around her began to fill with noisy students. As she figured would happen, someone approached her to ask: "Is this seat taken?"

A little annoyed, Evelyn looked up irritably from her sketchbook. Her face softened; however, as the voice had belonged to the boy she had met in Diagon Alley. She moved her things over to gesture to the empty seat opposite her.

"Go ahead!" She said enthusiastically, staring at him with surprise.

The boy sat down with a pleased look on his face, and stared at Evelyn for a few seconds. Awkwardly, he stuck his hand out over the table. "I'm Remus, by the way. Remus Lupin."

"Remus," Evelyn grinned broadly, accepting his hand, "I'm Evelyn Pratt."

His face had a goofy expression as he looked around the freight car, with his bulky jacket bunching over his tiny shoulders. Eventually, he turned to Evelyn. "What are you drawing?"

Evelyn's face suddenly felt hot. "N-nothing." She stammered, closing the book. "Just drawing..." Her eyes fell downwards as she pulled the sketchbook towards her chest protectively. The boy was only making conversation however, and Evelyn felt bad about the heavy silence that followed. As she was playing with one of the dog-eared pages, the train lurched into motion, and she fell forward into the table.

"Woah, there." Remus exclaimed, reaching out an arm to steady her. "Careful."

Evelyn leaned back in her seat, humiliated, and the steam engine's wheels began to clamor on the tracks. Tentatively, she lifted her book to the table. "I was drawing Professor Flitwick." She answered, finally, with a tiny voice. Evelyn felt quite exposed, but eagerly flipped through the pages until she found her drawing. Remus looked at this with curiosity, and grinned.

"You're good at drawing." he concluded, staring up at her cheerfully, "I wish I could draw well."

Evelyn could only blush as she flipped to another page. "This is Hunter, our bloodhound." She explained, pointing out the characteristic saggy skin and droopy ears.

"It looks very realistic." He said, which made Evelyn smile brightly.

"Why doesn't it move?" asked a new voice, and Evelyn looked up to see the boys from earlier had entered the carriage.

"It's a drawing." Evelyn said with a dumbfounded look, "Drawing's can't move."

"Maybe she _is_ stupid." laughed the boy with glasses, turning to the curly-haired boy. Evelyn felt her chin start to quiver and she withdrew her sketchbook from the table, to hide it on her lap.

The boys scoffed at her as they turned to enter a private booth, laughing as they went. Evelyn's eyes avoided Remus' and she fell quiet, afraid she would burst into tears.

"Don't worry about them." Remus comforted, gesturing for her to put the book back onto the table. "They're the dumb ones."

Evelyn eyed Remus carefully as she obliged his request, and watched curiously as he pulled out his wand.

"What are you doing?" Evelyn asked quickly, about to snatch her hand back.

"Making them move..." He declared, as lines of concentration appeared on his face. Evelyn watched with wonder as he said a couple of strange words and waved his hand.

"There." He said conclusively, letting Evelyn see. "A masterpiece even a pig-head can't make fun of."

Evelyn's jaw dropped open as she realized that drawings in the wizarding world did, indeed, move. She gasped as Hunter's eyes blinked back at her.

"How did you do that?" She asked, thinking about the book Flitwick recommended. "Is it a charm?"

"Yes, and a rather simple one, too. I can teach it to you, if you want?"

"Oh, yes." Evelyn agreed, retrieving her wand from the back pocket of her jeans. She was very eager to start learning magic.

"Okay," He said, flipping back to the picture of Flitwick. "You say 'Connivessio' and flick your wand, like this. Try it!"

"Connivessio!" Evelyn repeated, while she waved her wand. She watched happily as Flitwick started to blink. "Absolutely brilliant! You're a great teacher."

Evelyn looked up to see Remus actually blush. "No," He said, putting his wand away. "You're just a quick learner."

* * *

Remus, it seemed, had developed a keen interest in the miniature Professor he had seen Evelyn with, and Evelyn quickly indulged his questions.

"Well," Evelyn said with a goofy smile, adding some more pencil strokes to the Professor's robes. "He did this funny thing where we could disappear suddenly and reappear somewhere completely different. He called it Apparation."

"You apparated?" Lupin leaned forward, eagerly. "What's it like?"

"Nauseating at first." Evelyn admitted, now shading in Flitwick's hair. "But you get used to it after a couple of goes."

Remus seemed to drift off as he stared at Evelyn's drawing, an idea brewing in his head. "Why don't we try a disappearing charm to see if we can make Flitwick apparate across the page?"

"That's a brilliant idea!" Evelyn complimented, pushing the sketchbook towards him. "But, I don't know it."

"That's okay!" Remus said, "I might."

He pulled the book closer as he palmed his wand, but then sat silent as he tried to remember the incantation. Suddenly his face lit up and he flicked his wand reciting: "Evanesco!" Remus appeared happy with himself as Flitwick disappeared, and both of them sat excitedly, waiting for him to reappear. After a few moments, Evelyn dragged the book back to herself muttering, "It's okay, I'll just draw a new Flitwick."

"No, wait-" Remus guarded the picture from Evelyn's hovering pencil, and he had a look of great concentration on his face. "Aparecium!" He recited, waving his wand over the drawing. Flitwick reappeared on the page.

Evelyn's face lit up. "Where did you learn all of these spells, Remus?"

He shifted under her gaze. "My father taught me."

"Oh," Evelyn said. "Both of my parents are Muggles."

* * *

**Isn't James a _swine_? ;)**

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	6. Not Slytherin

**CHAPTER FIVE**  
"I think it's time we changed into our robes."

Evelyn looked at him dumbly, her head cocked to one side. She and Lupin had spent the last five hours trying to figure out the tricky charms required to apparate Flitwick across the white sheet of paper in front of them and, so far, had only gotten him to tap dance. All this excitement had made Evelyn forget that she was on a train that was hurtling towards Hogwarts, and for the embarrassing part of a minute, was puzzled by his words.

Realizing her stupidity, she giggled. "Oh. Of course."

Lupin had already begun searching for his small, leather suitcase on the luggage rack above, and looked down at her with a decidedly concerned look on his face. "Are you alright?" He laughed, struggling to tug the resistant suitcase free.

"Yeah." Evelyn shrugged, climbing onto the train's seat to retrieve her own. _I just seem to have forgotten my brain. _Evelyn thought, embarrassed. She became flustered as she learned the train's motion had forced all the other suitcases along the rack, sandwiching her own. "Oh, fiddlesticks." She sighed after a long struggle, hopping back down to the ground.

Remus didn't hesitate, "Accio!" The suitcase flew smoothly down to him, delighting Evelyn. "What do you have in here?" He asked, feeling the weight of it. "Books?"

"Oh!" Evelyn smacked a hand to her forehead and let out an exasperated chuckle. "I must be daft." Evelyn heaved the black suitcase to the wooden table top and undid the silver buckles. Stacked neatly on top of her school robes, and next to her black leather Oxford's, lay the thick tome '101 Magical Charms for the Budding Artist'- the book that would have been useful around five hours ago.

Remus' face contorted strangely for a moment, and he burst out into side-splitting laughter. "Evelyn, I have no words for you, at the moment." Evelyn just shuffled self-consciously and set the book on the table.

"I thought I left it in my bigger trunk." She muttered with a slight flush to her cheeks, and closed the suitcase.

"Well, no harm done. We still have two hours to read it." Lupin led Evelyn towards the front of the carriage where the bathrooms were. They were silent for a few minutes as they changed privately; until Evelyn stepped awkwardly back into the narrow hallway. Remus stood for a second and studied her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Most agreeable." He concluded, straightening his own robes.

"Says you." Evelyn beamed delightedly, nudging him on the shoulder.

Remus looked away from her as one corner of his lips twitched up into what Evelyn read as a meek smile. She chuckled affectionately, and grabbed his arm. "Come on, I bet that charm we need is in the book."

As they turned, they ran into the black-haired boy from earlier. Evelyn's voice caught in her throat, and she looked at Remus frantically. Her grip grew around his arm defensively.

"Changed already, Remus?" The boy asked casually, ignoring Evelyn. Remus shifted uncomfortably under her grasp, and Evelyn promptly freed him. She stared at them both accusingly, and waited patiently for Remus' response.

"Something you should do, too, James." Remus took a step forward.

James looked at Evelyn, now, caught in mysterious thoughts. He smirked then, arrogantly, before pushing Evelyn aside and disappearing into the boy's bathroom. Evelyn immediately rushed past Remus, seating herself heavily at their table.

Remus joined her a second later, appraising her carefully before sitting down. They sat there silently while Evelyn distractedly skimmed through her book. He waited, and smiled softly when she eventually looked up at him.

"How do you know him?" Evelyn asked, annoyance only thinly veiled in her voice.

"We met at Diagon Alley." Remus replied simply and, with a smirk, added, "He stopped to chat for longer you did."

Evelyn couldn't help a small smile as she remembered their last meeting, "I suppose I'm ridiculous, but I don't like him." She concluded, timidly looking down at her book for a moment. "I think I've found the charm we need." She shoved the charms textbook across the table at him, and leaned over to read it. "It's looks tricky, though."

"It does." He said distantly while his wand twitched in his hands. He appeared to be practicing the wand movements as he turned to the open sketchbook and recited the lengthy words. They seemed to have been a modified version of the two spells he had used earlier, and Evelyn couldn't help but admire his cleverness. She watched eagerly as the drawing of Flitwick did indeed flicker on the page, though it didn't move much. Remus looked up after he'd broken a long moment of meditation. "You try."

Evelyn shifted in her seat and shook her head. "No, I can't." She said downcast, "I'm not as good as you are."

"_Try_." He stressed patiently, and pushed the book towards her.

Evelyn let out a long, controlled breath as she gripped her wand anxiously. It was humming happily in her hand, and Evelyn felt a sudden clearness in her head. She saw the drawing in her mind's eye, doing exactly what she wanted it to do, and in the moment of clarity, recited: "Evanescapero Aparecium!"

Flitwick flickered off the page, disappeared for a moment, and then reappeared three inches away from his original position. "No way!" Evelyn exclaimed happily, looking excitedly up at Remus.

He had a bright smile on his face and simply said, "Well done."

* * *

At the closing of the seventh hour since the Hogwarts Express departed, they had charmed most of the drawings in her sketchbook and Remus had begun to read a book he'd brought, as Evelyn drew more.

"I read about people who could turn into animals." Evelyn said idly while drawing a picture of a small girl with wavy, brown hair and blue eyes, like her. She stopped, caught in a moment of reflection. "I think if I could turn into an animal, I would want to be a fluffy, calico cat."

"I think that would suit you perfectly."

"What would you want to be?" She started to draw another figure beside her that looked like Remus.

He chuckled darkly, avoiding her gaze. "I think I'd prefer to remain myself."

"That's no fun." Evelyn chided, wondering whether to erase the picture of Remus. "You must be curious."

"No." He answered resolutely, "The magic is too complicated for first years, anyway."

"Oh." Evelyn sighed and turned to the charms book. Reciting the spell she found there, the figure of Evelyn turned into a cat, while the figure of Remus remained the same.

"You're getting good at this." Remus had stopped reading to study the drawing. "You'll ace charms for sure."

"I hope we're sorted into the same house." Evelyn sputtered, looking up at him sheepishly.

He grinned, "Why?"

"That way I can tutor you in the charms you didn't practice on the train." She winked, and dodged defensively as Lupin feigned to toss his book at her.

The Hogwarts Express began to slow at this point; its whistle successively blowing one long horn and one short.

"Are you ready to get sorted?" Remus asked her, setting his book down.

Evelyn let out a ragged breath, shaking her head. "I really hope I don't get Slytherin."

"I don't see any reason why you would." He murmured, looking thoughtfully at the forest, which had come to a stop outside the window.

* * *

**It pained me to write about Lupin failing at magic, but it _was_ Evelyn's drawing.**

**Thoughts?**

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	7. Slytherin!

**CHAPTER SIX**  
"Pratt, Evelyn." Professor McGonagall's tenuous voice wavered throughout the Great Hall, and Evelyn felt a great wave of fear. She had just watched her friend Remus Lupin become a Gryffindor, and turned vulnerably towards him while he sat at his new table. Sirius Black and James Potter had been sorted likewise, and Evelyn was beginning to feel torn as she saw Remus sitting with them. Up until that point, she had hoped Lupin's affinity for reading would have placed him in Ravenclaw, where Flitwick had been convinced she would be placed, and away from the boys she had grown to detest.

There was quiet throughout the hall as she stepped cautiously up to the hat, turning to position herself on the old stool. McGonagall gave her a reassuring look as she lowered the hat onto her head, and Evelyn stared hopelessly out at the crowd. Remus was looking towards her with interest, sitting upright when he heard her name.

When she felt the hat come to life on her head, she immediately felt it probing into her mind, searching for her most revealing memories. It felt strange, and she had begun to relive things in her past that she had not thought about for a long time.

"A love for books." The hat rasped, "And creativity, too. We might have a Ravenclaw, here."

Then the hat stumbled upon a most recent memory- of when she had first spoken with Remus.

"Plenty of bravery." The hat croaked, "But you didn't stay, did you? You don't always have to flee, you know..."

Evelyn's brows furrowed as she considered the implications. _Yes, I ran away._ She thought, _Flitwick was waiting for me._

"You possess some qualities of Ravenclaw, yes, but the mind, soul, and _blood _of Slytherin."

McGonagall lifted the hat from her head, but Evelyn continued to sit dumbfounded on the stool. _She was sorted into Slytherin?_

"To the Slytherin table, with you. Off you go!" McGonagall chortled, ushering her off the stool.

Evelyn's eyes didn't find Remus' until she sat, defeated, behind him at her new Houses' table. His face reflected that of her own confusion, though they both said nothing. Her eyes then shifted instinctually towards the Head table, where they found Flitwick had adopted the same thoughtful face he'd had after the episode inside Gringotts, though it was mixed with something that looked like disappointment.

Evelyn looked back towards Remus, but found the scornful eyes of James and Sirius, who both wore a satisfied smirk.

"I knew it, Remus. She's a _Slytherin_."

Evelyn felt hurt by those words, and looked down at her hands judgementally.

"Snape, Severus." McGonagall called, ushering a meek looking black-haired boy onto the stool. Evelyn thought that _he'd_ looked like a Slytherin, not her, and was not surprised that the hat almost immediately shouted, "Slytherin!"

This Snape boy seemed to already have friends at the Slytherin table, though his eyes had drifted towards a pretty red-haired girl name Lily, seated at the Gryffindor table. Evelyn began to feel very self-conscious, and couldn't help feeling walls of seclusion build up around her. She watched as Snape moved further down the table to sit with his friends, whereas Evelyn was sitting all alone. She twisted around to see if Remus would talk to her, but only found his back.

When the final names were called and sorted, Emmaline Vance and Jordan Wilkes joined their table. Wilkes seemed to be friends with Snape and sat with him, though Emmaline, who looked quite normal, sat opposite her.

As soon as she had sat down, Dumbledore had announced the beginning of the year feast. Food immediately began to fill the tables, and excited chatter filled the room. Emmaline immediately began to chat with the girl beside her, so Eve chose to nibble silently on a chicken leg.

"Hey...Evelyn." Someone poked her in the side, and Evelyn flipped around, annoyed. She was disappointed to see it was Lupin, with a scowl on his face. "I thought you said your parents were Muggles?"

"They are." She urged, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Remus shrugged and turned around.

Evelyn was left stupefied, but scowled at James who had turned around to give her a foul look. When Evelyn returned to her meal, she found Emmaline Vance looking at her with bright eyes.

"So...Evelyn, right?" Eve nodded. "Introductory question: who is better? Half-bloods or Pure-bloods?" Most of the table turned to look at her.

"I-I'm not sure what you mean?" Evelyn muttered, placing her fork to the side.

"A mud blood sorted into Slytherin?" scoffed Lucius, who was sitting a couple seats down the table. "Despicable."

"Pure-bloods, of course." chided a rather aloof sounding second year. "Every proper Slytherin knows _that_."

"Yes, Rosier." Agreed Lucius. "Every _proper_ Slytherin."

A round of laughter went around the Slytherin table, but they soon lost interest. Evelyn no longer felt like eating. _I'll be a better Slytherin than you_. She thought bitterly, shooting a furtive glance towards Lucius.

* * *

Finally, when everyone had begun to ignore their plates and chatter, Dumbledore stood up in such a way that the entire hall fell silent.

"And so ends the first feast of the year." His great voice bellowed, "May I remind you that your timetables will be given out during breakfast tomorrow morning, and that no books will be required on the first day of class." A cheer erupted in the hall which Dumbledore silenced with a wave of his wand. "First years must follow a Prefect to their dormitories, and all students found out of their beds at night shall be appropriately punished."

"But now, a word of caution. A Whomping Willow has been planted on Hogwarts Grounds, and students must be advised to avoid it. As always, the Forbidden Forest is strictly off limits." Dumbledore finished, and sat back down in his chair with a soft smirk upon his wrinkled lips.

* * *

When the Great Hall started to clear, Evelyn decided to follow the first Slytherins that got up from the table. Happily, one of which was a rather boisterous Prefect named Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Follow me, first years!" He cried, "The stories I shall tell you!"

Evelyn felt her gut wretch immediately, and wondered if it was the food or the large coif of shining blonde curls on the prefect's head. But, looking between him and the other prefect, Lucius, she took the obvious option.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I battled the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Tinkles?" The bright-eyed Prefect asked her as she stood beside him. "No, I don't believe I have!" He chuckled, leading her to the doorway. "Anyway- I was wandering down the horrible, cavernous third floor hallway late one night..."

"Hey." Emmaline was slightly out of breath as she caught up with them. She fell into step with Evelyn and whispered, "I know you don't know me, but I want to give you a bit of advice." Evelyn looked at her sceptically. "If you want to get around well with Slytherin, you'd better start acting like one."

Evelyn face contorted in disgust. "Put up an act?" Evelyn asked breathlessly, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah." Emmaline continued in a hushed voice, "Start acting like everything you say is the truth, and everything you do is justified. _No exceptions_."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because having the other Houses against you is one thing, but having Slytherin against you is another matter entirely."

Evelyn considered this for a long while as they descended the dungeon's steps. "Could you teach me?"

* * *

**Oh gosh, Lockhart is in this?**

**Feedback box must be fed!**

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	8. Timid like a Mouse

**CHAPTER SEVEN**  
Evelyn scurried up the dungeon's steps on the morning of September 1st. Her new leather shoes echoed wildly against the flagstone floor, bouncing off the walls to create a clamouring sound. She hastily adjusted the green tie she found on her trunk that morning, which required her to button up the collar on the dress shirt she'd purchased with Flitwick; something she had never done before, and was feeling quite indignant.

The dim, green lighting in the Slytherin common room and throughout the Dungeon's corridors had not prepared her eyes for when she'd rounded the corner to arrive at the base of the Grand Staircase, and her eyes throbbed as they were bathed in proper sunlight. Feeling like a small, nocturnal creature climbing up from the depths of some hole, Evelyn squinted her eyes and attempted to remember which way lead to the Great Hall.

Feeling lucky, she headed straight down the hallway before her, but ended up getting lost somewhere around the Kitchens. She could hear the loud clanging of pots and pans moving around in rooms she could not see doors to, but she figured she must be close. Taking a few steps back, she unintentionally turned into a dim alcove, where a rather _busy _Lucius Malfoy was entertaining a giggling Narcissa Black. Horrified, Evelyn spun around quickly, with the intent to disappear before they noticed her.

"Mudblood." His malicious voice taunted her from behind. Evelyn twisted stiffly to face him.

"Y-yes?" She stuttered, her fingers scratching the back of her neck.

"Get out of here!" He roared, danger flashing in his eyes.

Evelyn did not need to be told to do something she had already been in the process of doing, but she did not tell Lucius that. Evelyn fled down the corridor as quickly as her feet would allow her, bursting exhaustively back under the Grand Staircase.

Right into James Potter.

"Slytherin..." James Potter's icy voice sent spikes through Evelyn's already shaken composure.

Her throat releasing a feeble cry, Evelyn slithered away from him, turning frantically down another hallway.

"Where are you going?" She heard Remus shout from behind her. At the sound of his voice, she halted her steps. Turning cautiously, she gazed warily back at them with her chest heaving weighty breaths. She noted that James Potter, Sirius Black and a boy named Peter Pettigrew flanked his sides. Remus' face was full of concern, and his hands were in his pockets, leisurely.

"Oh, hi." Evelyn simpered, twisting a pocket on her cloak. "Didn't see you there."

"I noticed." He grinned, taking a step towards her. James nudged Sirius' arm and thrust his head in the direction of a hallway Evelyn had not yet taken, and the two disappeared, with the submissive Peter Pettigrew following them shortly after.

"I thought you weren't talking to me." Evelyn admonished, taking a few steps forward, out of the shadows.

"I was confused." Remus explained, casting his eyes upon the floor.

Evelyn considered him for a moment, "About what?" She eyed him closely, placing her hand on the wall beside her.

"About you." he admitted, looking deeply ashamed. Evelyn gave him a sceptical glance. "It's common knowledge that Slytherins don't have many Muggle-borns in their midst, and the guys suggested that you'd lied about it."

"Why would I lie about something like that?" Relief rushed visibly through Lupin, and a small smile began to form on his lips.

"I couldn't say." Remus admitted, "Though after I heard you tell the whole Slytherin table about it...well, I couldn't ignore that." He grinned brightly at her, and extended his arm invitingly. "Come, breakfast is waiting."

* * *

"That's when I ran into you." Evelyn recounted from her seat at the Slytherin table.

Remus was about to say something, but snapped his mouth shut and quickly spun around. Evelyn looked up to see Lucius Malfoy striding towards her with a sneer pulling at his lip. Sniffing haughtily, he settled down next her and eyed her watchfully. Narcissa, who had positioned herself across from him, was giving her a dirty look.

Evelyn couldn't help the smirk that spread across her face, and she quickly dipped her head away to avoid their gaze. She thought she'd gotten away with it, too, until she felt Lucius' hair tickle her face, his lips close enough that the breath which escaped between them tickled her ear. It sent a shiver down her spine.

"It'd be best you don't tell anyone about earlier." His quiet voice was hot and threatening, and she instinctively jerked away from it. Lucius grabbed her arm to pull her closer. "Is that clear, Mudblood?"

Evelyn nodded her head feebly, and Lucius gave her captured arm a rough jerk as he released it. Wincing, she stole a furtive glance through her hair as they took their spot further along the table.

"Did they say anything?" Remus eyed the pair warily after they'd gotten far enough away.

"I think it would be best not to repeat that story." She said soberly, massaging her arm.

Remus cast a dark glare down the table. "Did he hurt you?"

Evelyn could see that there were many interested Slytherin ears. Sighing dejectedly, she shook her head.

* * *

Halfway through breakfast, Professor Slughorn was doing laps around the table, handing out class schedules to the Slytherins. It took him the better part of half an hour before he even got to her side of the table, as he was chatting at length with his preferred students; which appeared to be most of the Slytherins.

When Remus received his time table, he happily told Evelyn that he had Potions with the Slytherins, first. It wasn't until Slughorn finally reached her that she discovered they also shared Astronomy and, in a couple weeks time, Flying Lessons; though they appeared decidedly less interesting.

"Flying lessons?" She heard James moan from the next table over. "How old do they think we are?"

Sirius stopped wolfing down his eggs just long enough to reason; "Not everyone has been flying as long as you have, James."

"I wish they would just let first years try out for Quidditch." James huffed, poking a poached egg around his plate.

"Quidditch is _dangerous_." Chimed a new voice, and Evelyn turned to see Lily Evans had entered the conversation. "They just don't want any accidents."

"I won't have an accident." James rolled his eyes, poking part of his poached egg into his mouth.

Lily looked shrewdly at him over a large book. "Maybe if you spent less time pouting, and more time practicing, you'd make the team early."

"Do you think so?" James asked excitedly, abandoning his fork with a clatter.

Lily merely rolled her eyes. "Sure."

* * *

**Lucius is scary. :S**

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